What Daddy's Do!
by UltimateGotenFan
Summary: Just a short little story about Gohan and Goten's relationship during the 7 years Goku was dead. This will just be a one shot.


**Author's Note:** Just a one shot story I decided to make in my spare time. Decided to write a sweet little story about Gohan and Goten and what it was like for them during the 7 years Goku was dead. Anyways I hope everyone enjoys! As always reviews and comments are much appreciated!

"Take care of your mother." Was the words that kept echoing through Gohan's head. Before his death Goku had asked his son to take care of his mother. Gohan was determined to keep his promise but his dad never mentioned anything about taking care of a little brother.

11 year old Gohan sat outside the delivery room where his mother was giving birth to her second child. The past 9 months Gohan had taken care of his mother and unborn brother. But now that the day the baby was to make his way into the outside world had come Gohan was unsure if he was ready to take care of a little brother.

Without his dad around it was going to be more like he was taking care of a son than a little brother. Gohan knew he was going to have to do the things that Goku would have normally done. The young half saiyan knew he was going to have to be like a father to him. The problem was Gohan didn't know if he would make a good father figure. What if he failed? What if he couldn't guide him and raise him right? Gohan's thinking were interrupted when he caught view of his closest friends approaching him.

"Hey Gohan!" Shouted an excited Bulma.

"What's up, bro!" Shouted a grinning Krillin.

Gohan stood up and put on a smile for his friends so they wouldn't worry, "Hey everyone! I'm so glad you could make it!"

Bulma, Krillin, Yamcha, Piccolo, Oolong, Puar, Roshi, and Turtle had all shown up. They chatted about the new baby and then Bulma pulled Gohan aside and went outside with him.

"Um what is it, Bulma?" He asked.

Bulma hugged the preteen which made him blush. She petted his spiky black hair and asked, "Are you okay, kid?"

She pulled away from him and looked concerned. Gohan and Bulma had gotten to known each other well on Namek and Bulma figured out pretty quick that Gohan was the type to keep his worry hidden deep inside of him where most people couldn't see. But Bulma wasn't most people.

Gohan knew it was futile to lie so he told the truth, "I'm doing better about dad being dead. It's just the baby I'm worried about. Dad isn't here so it's up to me to be like a father to him. What if I mess up?"

Bulma kissed his cheek, "Gohan, you're incredible just like your dad. Most kids your age if they were in your position they would be wondering why they had to be saddled with the responsibility of a baby. They would be more concerned about themselves than the baby. But you're not, Gohan. You're concerned about your baby brother and if you can give him a good life. That's so selfless, Gohan. You're not like most people and that is why I know you'll make a great older brother or father or whatever your little brother needs."

Gohan smiled and almost cried, "Thank you, Bulma. That means a lot to me."

Suddenly a doctor came out and said the baby had just been born. Bulma and Gohan rushed back into the hospital. Everyone let Gohan go into the room first so he could be the first one besides Chi-Chi to hold the baby.

Chi-Chi lay there in her hospital gown holding a small bundle that had spiky black hair and a tail sticking out. Gohan curiously but nervously approached his mother and was in awe when he saw the beautiful child sleeping in her arms.

Chi-Chi looked up at Gohan as he held her spare hand, "This is your new baby brother. His name is Goten."

Gohan focused on the small saiyan. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. This new born looked exactly like their father.

"He's beautiful, mom." Gohan whispered.

"Hold him, sweetheart. You helped me so much these past 9 months. You deserve to hold him before any of the others do." She said as she gently passed Goten to Gohan.

Gohan held the baby gently and smiled when he felt his little tail brush against his fingers. Gohan leaned his head down and gently kissed Goten's forehead. Very slowly Goten awoke from his sleep and looked into the eyes of his big brother. Almost immediately he snuggled up close to Gohan's chest like he felt safe and protected with him.

Chi-Chi smiled at the sight of her two children and knew Goku was looking down smiling as well. The only thing that could make this day more perfect is if Goku himself was here.

Later that night after the two half saiyans and their mother returned home and Chi-Chi had fallen asleep, Gohan sneaked into Goten's room and watched as the baby slept. He stroked his small cheeks and smiled. He was so tiny and innocent. Watching him there Gohan made a commitment.

"I'm not your real daddy. He's not here right now. But if you need me to be a daddy to you, then I'll be that. I'll make sure you're always taken care of. I'll do whatever daddy's do." Gohan promised and then kissed his baby brother goodnight.

**1 Year Later:**

The smell of dinner filled the air that evening. Goten was trying as hard as he could to walk. He had been trying for about an hour now. For all his determination it was still apparent Goten was just like any other baby because every time he fell he wanted Gohan to help him back up. This was in stark contrast to Trunks who stood up on his own whenever he had fallen while trying to learn to walk.

"Come on, Goten! Don't give up! You can do it!" Gohan encouraged but still the baby couldn't do it.

Gohan thought maybe food would get him to walk since Goten did share the same appetite as he and his father have. So Gohan stood up and began running toward the kitchen but tripped over some of Goten's toys and hurt his knee.

"Oww! That kind of hurt!" Gohan said as he rubbed his knee.

Seeing his brother Goten wanted to help. The small one year old stood up and not only walked to Gohan but ran as fast as a saiyan baby could.

Gohan was amazed. It seemed that Goten had the same selfless and innocent protecting heart as their father had. Then Goten did something that really surprised Gohan. Goten said his first word.

"Daddy!" Goten said in concern over his brother's injury.

Gohan was shocked. Goten really believed Gohan was his father. He picked up the baby and held him close. Goten snuggled his head into Gohan's chest. It looks like Gohan would really have to be a father to Goten after all.

**2 Years Later:**

Gohan dropped the now 3 year old Goten off at Capsule Corp for a play date with Trunks. Little Goten and Trunks had become close friends ever since they started playing together. Gohan usually stayed and had dinner with the Brief family. He was always intrigued by whatever Bulma's latest invention of the week she had to show him. Of course one thing he didn't look forward to was Vegeta's training sessions.

Gohan was enjoying dinner with Bulma and Vegeta when all of a sudden they heard loud thumps coming from upstairs. Bulma and Gohan rushed upstairs and found the babies fighting.

Bulma picked up Trunks and Gohan picked up Goten. Both of them asking their respective babies what happened. Trunks was able to explain better since he was a year older though Goten in his best effort also tried to explain.

"Goten was saying that Gohan was his daddy but I tell him that Gohan is brother and he got mad!" Trunks explained.

"Gohan is my daddy!" Goten shouted.

Gohan and Bulma both looked at each other. They both decided to separate the two for the day and let them cool off. Gohan flew back home with Goten and tried to figure out what he should do. He had tried to explain before that their real father was in Other World but Goten didn't understand. He still believed that Gohan was his father. Gohan figured there was no harm in waiting until Goten was older to try and explain it again. Before they were home Goten was already fast asleep in Gohan's arms.

**2 Years Later:**

Goten was 5 now and still he believed Gohan was his father. On this day Gohan felt the fatherly protective intuition he had developed since Goten's birth kick in. It was early in the morning and Gohan jumped out of bed because he could feel something was wrong. He rushed into Goten's room and found him clenching his ear and crying softly in pain.

"Goten! What's wrong!" Gohan asked concerned.

He moved Goten's hand away from his ear gently and saw the problem. Poor Goten had infection leaking from his ear. Yep he had gotten his first ear infection. Gohan remembered what those were like and knew the pain the little guy was in.

Gohan quickly got some pain killers from the bathroom and had Goten to swallow them to ease the pain. He stayed by his little brother's side and rubbed his tummy trying to soothe him.

"Goten, we need to take you to the doctor." Gohan told him knowing Goten hated doctors as much as their dad did.

But this time the pain was so bad that Goten just nodded and whispered, "Okay…" Anything was worth it to make this pain stop.

Gohan wrote a note for his mother explaining where he and Goten were going. Then he put a coat on Goten and wrapped him in a blanket so he wouldn't get cold outside in the December air. Gohan made sure that Goten's ears were covered the whole time he flew to the nearest doctor. Once they landed Gohan quickly carried his brother in and explained the situation.

The two saiyans waited in the waiting room. Goten lay on his brother's lap and Gohan noticed something terrible. Not only was infection leaking out but a small amount of blood. This was one bad ear infection that was for sure.

When they finally got back to the doctor's office, the first thing the doctor asked besides what was wrong with Goten was Gohan's relation to him.

"He's my daddy!" Goten answered for Gohan.

The doctor gave Gohan a strange look wondering why someone so young had a kid already let alone one as old as Goten. Then the doctor went back to examining Goten's ear and looked inside of it. The doctor looked very upset.

"Well his ear drum has busted. He's got a lot of infection in there but that isn't the worse. His ear looks raw inside almost like it's starting to rot. I've seen this before but it's rare. Ear infections usually never get this bad. It can be fixed but it's not an easy cure." The doctor said.

Pulling Gohan out of the room away from Goten the doctor continued, "He needs something to combat the infection quickly. Now I'm going to give him regular ear drops and some pills but I'll have to give him 3 drops of these special drops in the ear to make sure this doesn't spread anymore than it has. But these special ones will probably burn"

Gohan gritted his teeth and felt sick at the thought of that, "Doc, he's not going to like that."

"No normal child would but it's the only way." The Doctor assured.

Gohan was about to learn the hard part of fatherhood. Sometimes you had to do things a child didn't like but you knew it was best for them.

"Alright…" Gohan gave his permission.

The doctor had Goten lay down and gave the regular drops to Gohan for him to take home along with the medication.

The doctor explained these special drops would help a lot but may burn and Goten looked terrified. Gohan held his brother's hand and tried to get him to calm down.

"Goten, listen to daddy. I know you don't like it and I'm not going to lie this will probably hurt but trust me it will make you feel better later. Do you trust daddy?" Gohan asked softly.

It took Goten moment to get over the fear but finally he nodded and said, "Yes…" With that he lay down and closed his eyes dreading what was to come.

Gohan placed his hands on Goten's side to keep him from squirming and injuring himself. The doctor put in the first drop and Goten began to cry loudly. Then the second drop was put into his ear and he wanted to get up and run but Gohan wouldn't let him. Finally the third drop was put in and Gohan released Goten. Goten cried for a very long time until finally he cried himself to sleep.

Gohan couldn't help himself from crying. He hated having to do that to Goten but he knew it was the right thing. Still it wasn't easy seeing the child that called him "daddy" in pain like that.

Gohan took Goten back home and using the regular drops and medication nursed Goten back to health. Every night Gohan stayed up and comforted Goten instead of sleeping. Holding Goten, singing to him, telling him stories.

The guilt Gohan had felt for what happened still lingered but it melted away when one night Goten whispered to Gohan as he rocked him to sleep, "Thank you for always taking care of me, daddy." Goten understood Gohan was only doing the best for him and hearing those words from Goten made Gohan feel like he was doing a good job with him.

**2 Years Later:**

Goten was 7 now and it was the summer before Gohan was to start high school. Gohan was out at the lake catching dinner for tonight. Normally he and Goten went fishing together but Gohan hadn't seen Goten all day.

Gohan returned home close to dinner time and as usual the Son family enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by their mother.

That night as Gohan walked into Goten's room to read him a story, Gohan was about to get a surprise. He sat down and opened the story book and was about to start reading to his younger brother when Goten put his little hand on Gohan's arm and smiled.

"What's up, kiddo?" Gohan asked.

Goten had a big smile on his face, "I got you something!"

The little saiyan jumped out of bed and ran over to his closet. He pulled out a box about the size of a shoe box, that was wrapped in colorful paper and had a bow on top.

"Here, daddy!" Goten said excitedly as he handed Gohan the gift.

Gohan quickly opened the package and pulled out the gift inside. It was a necklace that had a dragon ball charm on it. But it was only half of a small copy of a dragon ball and it said daddy on it.

"What is this, Goten?" Gohan asked curiously.

Goten showed Gohan that he also had a necklace and it had the other half of the dragon ball shaped charm and on Goten's half it said son. The small child put the two halves together and smiled.

"Mommy helped me make it. I knew today was Fathers Day and I wanted to get you something special, daddy. Something to show you how much you mean to me and how much I love you. Something to say thank you for being a daddy to me while our real father is away." Goten honestly explained.

Tears filled Gohan's eyes. He smiled but he couldn't say anything. All this time he was so afraid he couldn't be a good father figure for Goten but this small necklace was proof that he had done a great job.

"Oh…come here Goten!" Gohan said picking up his little brother and hugging him close.

Goten snuggled in Gohan's arms and said, "Gohan I've known for a few years now that you're not my real daddy and our real daddy is in that place called Other World. But you're the closest thing I have to a daddy and I know you didn't have to take care of me like a daddy would but because you did, because of the sacrifices you made to make me happy, I want you to know that it means so much to me. You may not be my real daddy, but I'll always love you like a daddy!"

Gohan kissed Goten's cheeks and cried some more, "And I'll always love you like you're my own son!"

Gohan kept holding Goten until finally his little brother fell asleep. Gohan softly lay the child in his bed and covered him up with the sheets so he wouldn't get cold. He kissed him goodnight and walked toward the door. Gohan turned around and looked once more at the sleeping child.

He smiled and whispered to the sleeping little saiyan, "You don't have to thank me for what I've done for you, son. That's just what daddy's do."


End file.
